no i mean he's just really smart and has a lot of interesting things to say
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 9 October 2015 16:16 (eight years ago) link
i mean my interview with him was a 40 minute tangent on prince which doesn't seem to me a product of media training
Indeed, but I guess if you've learned the rules from media training, then you know how to break 'em. I totally believe he knows exactly what he's doing when he enters into an interview situation - I honestly don't think, given his background, that he would just ramble without purpose even though it may seem like he's doing exactly that.
― Turrican, Friday, 9 October 2015 16:38 (eight years ago) link
In other words, I can't help but feel that every single thing about this band is calculated.
― Turrican, Friday, 9 October 2015 16:39 (eight years ago) link
oh no a calculated band
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 9 October 2015 16:40 (eight years ago) link
they were a band for ten years before they put anything out as the 1975 so i also think that contributed to that sense of calculation, i mean lol they wanted their eps and albums to resemble self-contained movies.
but show me a band that is not somewhat calculated in their approach and i'll show you etc.
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 9 October 2015 16:44 (eight years ago) link
if she floats in water, she must be a witch.
― Tim F, Friday, 9 October 2015 19:11 (eight years ago) link
Well, you might think that, Turrican, but I've done around five hours worth of interviews with him now, and spent around twice that in non-media situations. So I know him better than most journalists, but nowhere near as well as an actual friend would. And there is very little difference between the two people. The interviews sometimes have recurring lines – whose interviews don't – but I don't get any sense of calculation from him. I get a desire to be honest, which has the band's manager petrified a lot of the time.
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Friday, 9 October 2015 20:53 (eight years ago) link
Given his background, I wouldn't be surprised if he's spent his entire life being a genuine and nice person as a Machiavellian lifelong calculated bid for fame and fortune. Wake up sheeple.
― Tim F, Friday, 9 October 2015 22:29 (eight years ago) link
I think I like this new song.
― Greer, Sunday, 11 October 2015 05:00 (eight years ago) link
Indeed, but I guess if you've learned the rules from media training, then you know how to break 'em.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuAzsKGELpo/TrLSMikT6nI/AAAAAAAADZ8/H3DTLuBOyRE/s1600/JFK5.jpg
― playlists of pensive swift (difficult listening hour), Sunday, 11 October 2015 08:55 (eight years ago) link
lol the dark arts learned at the knees of Denise Welch and Tim Healy
― bonobo voyage (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 11 October 2015 09:45 (eight years ago) link
Matthew Healy was born on 8/4/1989 and so was presumably conceived during the period his father was filming A Kind of Living
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T4jBzUCfq1Y/hqdefault.jpg
― soref, Sunday, 11 October 2015 14:02 (eight years ago) link
A Kind of Living doesn't even have its own wikipedia page
― soref, Sunday, 11 October 2015 14:10 (eight years ago) link
clearly the work of a master media manipulator
― bonobo voyage (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 11 October 2015 14:11 (eight years ago) link
"My cunning media masterplan is that I will talk to you for two and a half hours about everything you ask, without once trying to steer the interview back to the thing that I am here to promote!" Damn, that's worthy of Goebbels.
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Sunday, 11 October 2015 16:35 (eight years ago) link
Well, his cunning media masterplan is working if it's leading to journalists thinking they're his best mate. It's certainly delivering the arse-licking features, that's for sure. So yeah, I do 100% believe the guy knows exactly what he's doing.
― Turrican, Sunday, 11 October 2015 20:11 (eight years ago) link
It's the cunningly making good music so people will like his band that I find really offensive.
― Tim F, Sunday, 11 October 2015 20:31 (eight years ago) link
matty is my best friend how dare u
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 11 October 2015 20:34 (eight years ago) link
more like Turriconspiracytheory
― bonobo voyage (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 11 October 2015 21:55 (eight years ago) link
I like the idea that making records writers like, then answering questions honestly and at length is a cunning media masterplan. As opposed to what every journalist hopes artists would do. Frankly, I'd have more respect for him if he made shit records and then refused to speak in interviews.
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Monday, 12 October 2015 13:21 (eight years ago) link
tim healy's media game is so strong that he's being upstaged by a jar of pickled eggs in that screencap
― Haino Corrida (NickB), Monday, 12 October 2015 13:28 (eight years ago) link
of course he knew exactly what he was doing
― Haino Corrida (NickB), Monday, 12 October 2015 13:29 (eight years ago) link
It's the cunningly making good music so people will like his band that I find really offensive.― Tim F, Sunday, October 11, 2015 8:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Tim F, Sunday, October 11, 2015 8:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Their music and their image also reek of calculation to the Nth degree. It's not so much that they're "cunningly making good music", more that the music and image of the band seem so carefully constructed and cynically crafted that it's impossible to separate the music from the target marketing. In a way, they're doing exactly what Coldplay were doing on X&Y, making the type of hollow superficial music that is designed to push the buttons of a particular demographic in a superficial and unchallenging way while dressing it up and packaging it as if it's something much more than that in the hope that other demographics will be swayed by it, and I include music journalists in that. Shrewd.
"Do you like One Direction? Then you'll love our haircuts and posing!""Did you like Joy Division? Then you'll love our black and white photos and our serious posing! We've heard of The Blue Nile too, so please take us seriously!""Are you a socially awkward teenager who sulks and writes bad poetry? Then you'll love the title of our new album!""Does life suck? Well, let the son of two jobbing UK TV entertainers explain to you just how much life can suck! I used to be massive cokehead, y'know. Yeah. I was in a position where I could afford that shit."
I like the idea that making records writers like, then answering questions honestly and at length is a cunning media masterplan. As opposed to what every journalist hopes artists would do.
Yes, and I'm sure Mr. Healy is completely well aware of the fact that this is what every journalist hopes artists would do, and that's ultimately why he's doing it.
― Turrican, Monday, 12 October 2015 14:54 (eight years ago) link
These calculating bastards. Thanks for saving us from falling into their trap.
Do you realise that someone could make exactly the same argument about Chvrches if they felt like it? The only difference is that you like Chvrches.
― impossible raver (Re-Make/Re-Model), Monday, 12 October 2015 14:57 (eight years ago) link
man ppl get so mad when teenage girls like a rock band
― adam, Monday, 12 October 2015 14:59 (eight years ago) link
yh srsly yr embarrassing yrself here turrers chum
just keep it simple - they've been given insider leg-ups all the way, their banal as fuck bourgie wilmslow upbringing has birthed wide-eyed teensy pop-rock with insane production values owing to their enviable connections. like it or not they are uk pop royalty now, and ilx is a bastion of pop monarchism, go figure
― twunty fifteen (imago), Monday, 12 October 2015 15:05 (eight years ago) link
Yup, that too, although I refuse to be (and am in no way) embarrassed about my dislike of this band.
man ppl get so mad when teenage girls like a rock band― adam, Monday, October 12, 2015 2:59 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― adam, Monday, October 12, 2015 2:59 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Your words, not mine. Gender has nothing to do with it.
― Turrican, Monday, 12 October 2015 15:14 (eight years ago) link
"Do you like tiresome back and forths about authenticity in music? Then you'll love this ILM thread!"
― Greer, Monday, 12 October 2015 16:13 (eight years ago) link
What connections and insider leg-ups have they benefitted from? I don't know enough about The 1975's rise but it doesn't seem like Healy's parents would have much sway in the music industry.
― impossible raver (Re-Make/Re-Model), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:41 (eight years ago) link
the band did have a 6 month residency on Loose Women tbf
― bonobo voyage (Noodle Vague), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:42 (eight years ago) link
SKOA Shey: So, let's start simple, what made you guys want to start out as a band, you all started recording together quite young didn't you?
Matt Healy: Yeah, well me personally, my Dad's friends were in quite big bands, my Dad used to knock about with Dire Straights and things like that in the 80's. So I knew a lot of that crowd when I was a kid, so I suppose that was the first thing that I wanted to do, we just started playing in punk bands when we were 13/14.
― twunty fifteen (imago), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:51 (eight years ago) link
It is to his credit that he does not hide the nepotism, I guess
― twunty fifteen (imago), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:52 (eight years ago) link
so mark knopfler twanged a few strings for him
― Haino Corrida (NickB), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:57 (eight years ago) link
tbf my dad lent Squeeze his gear once
― twunty fifteen (imago), Monday, 12 October 2015 16:59 (eight years ago) link
also had crucial early exposure in the Macclesfield Express
http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/local-news/auf-weidersehen-hello-pop-idol-2543673
― strictly dream-bait fit for moon-gazing (soref), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:14 (eight years ago) link
His renditions of The La's 'There She Goes' and the Oasis classic 'Don't Look Back in Anger' had the crowds heaving in the school's main hall.
― strictly dream-bait fit for moon-gazing (soref), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:16 (eight years ago) link
I read
"enviable connections"
and I read
"son of two jobbing UK TV entertainers"
― (emphasis mine) (wins), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:20 (eight years ago) link
I thinkthose people were arguing the same point
― (emphasis mine) (wins), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:21 (eight years ago) link
Stretching the definition of nepotism there.
― impossible raver (Re-Make/Re-Model), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:25 (eight years ago) link
Given that they'd been together in one form or another for years before getting a deal, the nepotism didn't work all that well.
And, yes, they have an image. I thought pretty much all bands did. Has that become a bad thing now?
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:38 (eight years ago) link
By the way, Turrican, could you tell us the truth about what happened on 9/11?
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Monday, 12 October 2015 17:41 (eight years ago) link
― strictly dream-bait fit for moon-gazing (soref), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:14 Bookmark
jpeg should be album cover
― r|t|c, Monday, 12 October 2015 17:56 (eight years ago) link
the nine eleven-teen seventy five
― Haino Corrida (NickB), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:06 (eight years ago) link
it's about ethics in music journalism, duh
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:20 (eight years ago) link
i like how he's holding a proper power chord for the pose, must have hurt his fingers a bit
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:21 (eight years ago) link
afaict they had great, extremely insistent pr around the time the sex ep came out, that was probably a factor
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:35 (eight years ago) link
they'd been together in one form or another for years before getting a deal
Well, it's apparent they were biding their time until they'd got their calculators out and perfected the optimum formula for their name, music, image, presentation, interview technique etc. I'm sure they were shrewd enough to realise that they'd only really have one shot once they got to a certain level, because christ did people like to remind Viva Brother that they used to be Kill The Arcade, so they took their time calculating and preparing everything to give the impression that they'd arrived fully formed. Very shrewd move to totally think things through like that.
― Turrican, Monday, 12 October 2015 18:38 (eight years ago) link
the 1975 is a terrible band name
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:43 (eight years ago) link
it is, yet somehow we're past it now. the usual reference point for this phenomenon being "the beatles" obv
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Monday, 12 October 2015 18:51 (eight years ago) link